Cong govts most secular: Andhra CM

Hyderabad: Congress governments at the Centre and states ruled by the party alone are the most secular, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today said.

Addressing a 50-member delegation of religious heads and elders of the Muslim community who called on him, Reddy said the Congress is committed to the welfare and well being of minorities, particularly Muslim minorities, an official release said.

The delegation members thanked him and the state government for sanctioning Rs 15 crore for repairs of mosques and churches and other assistance announced for welfare of minorities.

Reddy said his government has enhanced its budget for minorities for this year to Rs 489 crore from Rs 30 crore in 2004-05.

He said three more competitive exam coaching centres for minority students would be opened at Nizamabad, Kadapa and Chittoor soon, in addition to the four centres already functioning at Hyderabad, Guntur, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool.